Margaret Tuohey, or Tuohy, was born in Rooskey, County Mayo, Ireland, in 1889, the daughter of Austin and Mary Tuohey (née Ruddy). Her parents were farmers and her father had previously been married; however, his first wife died in childbirth. Neither Margaret’s birth nor those of her seven siblings were officially registered with the authorities, which was not unusual in rural Ireland at that time.
In April 1909, she had boarded the Oceanic at Queenstown and travelled to the United States of America, in the search of work and settled in New York City, where she found a position as a domestic servant.
In the spring of 1915, however, she decided to return to County Mayo and consequently booked third class passage on the Lusitania. Joining the vessel at Pier 54 in New York harbour on the morning of 1st May 1915, she bade farewell to her adopted city as the liner departed from there just after mid-day! Her departure for Liverpool was actually delayed until the early afternoon, so that she could take on board passengers, cargo and crew from the Anchor Liner Cameronia, which had been requisitioned by the British Admiralty for war work as a troop ship.
Six days later, however, she was lucky enough to survive, after the Lusitania was torpedoed and sunk, off the southern coast of Ireland and only hours away from her Liverpool destination. She was aged 25 years at the time.
Having been rescued from the sea and landed at Queenstown, she had to be taken to the hospital in the town because of what she had suffered as a result of the action. She was discharged three days after the sinking, after which she set out for her Mayo home.
Soon afterwards, she applied to The Lusitania Relief Fund, for financial help, to help with the cost of replacing lost clothing. This fund had been set up after the liner had been sunk, by The Lord Mayor of Liverpool and other people from the local community, to help second and third class passenger survivors (and the relatives of those who had perished), who had suffered financial hardship as a result of the sinking. It was thought that saloon class passengers were wealthy enough not to need help and each claim was met on its merits.
In August 1915, the awards committee granted her the ‘final’ sum of £3-0s-0d., in respect of her application!
On the 16th April 1922, she married Patrick Mulherin in the Roman Catholic Church in Foxford, County Mayo. Her husband was a farmer from Boyhollagh, Attymass, County Mayo, and it was here that Margaret and her husband raised their four sons. Her husband died in 1940.
Margaret Mulherin rarely spoke about the Lusitania, and died at Ballina District Hospital, Ballina, County Mayo, on the 22nd October 1962. Her age on her death certificate is recorded as being 75 years, but she was actually aged 83 years.
Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1901 Census of Ireland, 1910 U.S. Federal Census, 1911 Census of Ireland, New York Passenger Lists 1820 – 1957, Cunard Records, Liverpool Record Office, PRO BT 100/345, UniLiv.D92/1/8-10, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.